TV NEWS MARCH 25

http://blog.sitcomsonline.com/2013/03/home-improvement-coming-to-hallmark.html

Hallmark Channel has announced that the network has acquired the rights to the popular 1990s sitcom, Home Improvement from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The off-network comedy series will drive the network's sitcom block with all 203 episodes from the series (seasons one through eight) joining the schedule in September 2013. The classic family comedy joins reruns of Emmy nominated drama, The Good Wife, which begins airing in January 2014, and reruns of award-winning comedy, The Middle, airing March 2014, as the network accelerates its strategy to assemble a "dream team" of programs comprised of acquired hits and original scripted fare.

Currently, Home Improvement airs on both TV Land and TBS. However, TV Land's rights to the series is expiring at the end of August and it looks like Hallmark will be picking their rights up. TV Land is airing the sitcom in the 5am hour right now. TBS will also be losing the rights to the series. Right now they only air the sitcom on Sunday mornings at 7am and after April 28 it is missing from the schedule completely (replaced by an extra Friends rerun). Both Nick at Nite/TV Land and TBS signed a six-year deal for the sitcom back in 2007 (announced in 2004) and that is expiring at the end of this August, 2013. It'll be interesting to see if Hallmark Channel will have exclusive rights or if another network will also pick it up to share with Hallmark. Or maybe either TV Land or TBS will renew it, but that seems unlikely, especially TBS. We'll certainly keep you in the loop.